Automobile-headlight.



H. L. HEDEENr AUTOMOBILE HEADLIGHT. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 24. 1911.

'1 ,4,1 3. Patented Nov. 6, 191?.

. :HERBEBT L. HEDEEN, or LAKnAn'IiEs-[sourH akota To all whom z't may conc'em:

'Be it known that I, HERBERT 'LAWRENCE v HEDEEN, a citizen of the United States, re-j siding at Lake Andes, in the county of Charles Mix and State of South Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Tm provements in Automobile-Headlights; and I- do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

' This invention relates to an automobile headlight and has for its primary object the provision of means whereby the headlight may be so mounted upon an automobile and connected to the steering mechanism thereof so that the headlight will turn in a corresponding direction with the front wheels of'the automobile at all times, thus efiiciently and thoroughly illuminating the path ofthe automobile when travelingabout a curve in a roadway.

Another object of thisv invention is the provision of housings, carried by the mud guards of an automobile and having head lights journaled thereon and which are connected to the steering mechanism of the automobile, so that they will turn ina corresponding direction with the-front wheels.

A further object of this invention is the provision of meansfor connecting the headlights together and a flexible cable connected to one of the headlights and to a gear carried by the axle of the automobile and operatively connected with the steering mechanism so that upon movement of the steering mechanism to turn the front wheels, the gear will be rotated turning the headlights through the flexible cable.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a casing surrounding the gear and supporting the same upon the axle and having slidably mounted therein a rack bar which meshes with the gear andis in turn pivoted to a rod which is pivotally connected to the steering mechanism of the automobile, whereby upon movement of the steering mechanism, the rack bar will rotate the gear at a corresponding direction to turn the headlights.

A still further ob ect of this invention is the provision of an automobile headlight of the above stated character, which shall euroivioiainn-njsapmcnrl I Specification of Letters Patent.

.paratively low cost. 1

eaten-ad Nov; 6, 1917.

Application filed January 24, 1917. Serial 110,144,165.

be simple, durable and-eflicient and which may be' manufactured and sold at a com VVithfhese' and other objects in view as will become'more"apparent as the -de'scrip-' n tion proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction,combinationand arrangement of parts as will be" hereinafter "more fully described and claimed.- Q For a-complete understanding of my in vention, reference is -to be had to the fol lowing description and accompanying draw 1'ng,1n wh1ch:-

Figure 1 is a front elevation of an auto-' mobile having headlights applied thereto, which are constructed in accordance with my invention,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view'partly in section'illustrating the means of connectlng the gear'to the steering mechanism,

' Fig. 3-is a fragmentary vertical sectional lights together, and F is'a detail sectional view of the gear having the cable connected thereto and the'man'nerfof'mounting the gear to the front axle'. I i v p Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral'l indicates the body of an'automobile',mounted upon a chassis 2-whichis s'eview ofthe means for'connecting the headcured to the front axle3 by the springs 4. The front axle 8'has the usual steering knuckles '5 on which are mounted the front wheels 6 and are connected together by the connecting rod 7. Secured to the chassis 2 are the usual mud guards 8, that overlie the front wheels 6. The foregoing description relates to a well known construction of an automobile and to which my invention is applied.

Brackets 9 and 10 are secured to the inner faces of the mud guards 8 adjacent their forward ends and are curved downwardly and inwardly in the direction of the body 1 to support housings 11 and 12. The housings 12 and 11 have journaled in their upper walls lamp standards 13 and 14, which have the usual forked ends to receive the headlights 15 and 16; The lamp standards 13 and 14 extend into the housings 11 and 121 and have beveled gears 17 secured thereto. A tubular member 18 connects the housings 11 and 12 together and has journaled therein a rod 19, which has its ends disposed within the housings and has mounted upon each end a beveled gear 20. The beveled gears 20 are in nieslrwiththe beveled 'gears 17 upon the lamp standards, whereby the headlights are compelled to rotate or'turn in a corresponding direction with each other.

A casing 21 is formed upon a base 22, which is apertured to receive bolts 23, which surround the axle 3 and are carried by a plate 24 for clamping the casing 21'to' the axle. The casing 21 has journaled therein a gear 25 which has secured centrally there-V secured to the lower end of the lamp standard 13. e V r p The casing 21has a bearing 29 formed thereon for slidably receiving a rack bar 30, the teeth of which mesh with the gear 25.

The rack bar 29 is pivoted to a rod 31 as I illustrated at 32, The rod 31 has its other end pivoted to a clamp 33 as illustrated at 3a. The clamp 33 is held upon the connecting rod 7 by a set screw 35 whereby upon movement of the connecting rod 7 in either direction to turn the front wheels 6, the

rack bar 30 will be moved in a corresponding direction by the rod 31, rotating the gear 25 which turns the headlights 15'and 16 in a corresponding direction by the shaft" 26.

While. I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be' understood that minor changes in construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be made without departing Copies of this patent may be obtained foniiv'cents each, addressing the Commissioner from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

WVhat is claimed is:

4 1Z 'The' 'combination witlran automobile including a body and a front axle having a steering mechanism, of lamp standards journaled to the body, means for connectingthe lamp standards together, headlights carriedby theo lamp standards, a flexible shaft connected to one of the lamp standards, a casing secured to the axle, a gear journaled in the casing and connectedto the shaft, a rack bar slidable in said casing and inmesh with the gear, and a rod pivoted totlie'rack bar and to the steering mechanismto turn the headlights.

2. The combination with an automobile including a body on an axle and a steering mechanism, of a pair of housings, secured to the body, lamp standards journaled in said housings, headlights carried by said lamp standards, means forconnecting the lamp standards together, a flexible tube connected to the housings, a flexible shaft extending through a tube and having one end connected to one of the lamp standards within one-of the housings, a casing secured to the axle, af gear journaled in the casing and connected to the shaft, a bearing formed on said casing, a rack bar slidable in saidgearing and in mesh with the gear, and means for connecting the raclebar to the steering mechanism to turn the headlights.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses. i v, v

I, -HERBERT L. HEDEEN. VVitnesses 'f i GUY PARKER, ees re n .i

of Patents.

Washington, I. 0. 

